Student Counsellor (St Hugh's College)

Safer Recruitment and Safeguarding Commitment St Hugh is totally committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and young people and expects the same from its employees. All new staff will be subjected to an enhanced pre-employment clearance check, including an identity check, criminal background checks, qualifications checks and employment checks to include an exploration of any gaps in employment and three professional references which will be verified.

All teaching posts must have a teaching qualification. Job Description Position Overview The Student Counselor is the main point of contact for prospective students and their parents from first enquiry through enrolment. The role builds relationships, explains St Hugh’s College Vientiane programmes and pathways, provides student counselling, and follows up to help suitable students make informed decisions.

The counselor also advises students on study abroad plans and supports IFY students with progression planning after they complete the programme. The counselor coordinates applicant progress with Admissions, verifies academic and university pathway guidance with the Academic Team, and works with Marketing on campaigns and events.

Admissions owns application processing and formal decisions.

Key Responsibilities

Student enquiries and counselling Respond promptly and professionally to enquiries by phone, email, messaging channels, social media, and in person. Hold consultations with prospective students and parents to understand their goals, qualifications, concerns, preferred programme, and longer-term study abroad plans. Explain programme and study abroad options, entry and progression requirements, study experience, tuition and scholarship information using current, verified information; refer complex academic or eligibility questions to the Academic Team.

Act as the student’s primary contact from enquiry through enrolment, answering questions, arranging visits and consultations, and following up at agreed points. Counsel IFY students on university and course choices, timelines, and next steps for study abroad, including after they complete the programme. Coordinate with the Academic Team and Admissions and Academic Partner Coordinator to confirm results, entry criteria, progression routes, deadlines, and current partner requirements before advising students; escalate uncertain cases and communicate confirmed guidance clearly.

Recruitment pipeline and enrolment Qualify and nurture genuine enquiries, recommend appropriate next steps, and work towards agreed recruitment and enrolment targets. Explain application requirements and help students submit the required information and documents to Admissions; follow up with students on missing items identified by Admissions.

Coordinate with the Admissions Coordinator to obtain case status, expected next steps, and formal outcomes; communicate updates clearly to the student without making admissions decisions or issuing offers. Guide offer holders through acceptance, appointments, deposit and enrolment steps, coordinating processing with Admissions and payment confirmation with Finance.

Arrange a clear handover to Student Services and relevant academic teams for onboarding, while remaining available to resolve outstanding student-facing questions. Marketing and outreach Work with Marketing to plan and support recruitment campaigns, open days, school visits, study fairs, workshops, and other events. Share common student questions, objections, lead quality, and consultation feedback to help Marketing improve messaging and campaign targeting.

Follow up promptly with leads generated by campaigns and events, and record their source and outcome. Build professional relationships with schools, counsellors, and community contacts to develop prospective student referrals, in coordination with the team. Records, reporting, and service standards Record enquiries, consultations, lead sources, follow-up dates, and pipeline stages accurately in the CRM or recruitment tracker.

Provide regular updates on active prospects, conversion, event leads, and barriers to enrolment to the line manager. Protect prospective students’ personal information and follow the college’s confidentiality and data handling procedures. Maintain a professional and supportive experience for students and parents, and escalate complaints or exceptional cases promptly.

Key Performance Indicators Qualified enquiries and consultations completed. Enquiry response time and completion of scheduled follow-ups. Qualified lead-to-application and offer-to-enrolment conversion. Enrolments against agreed targets, reviewed by intake or campaign period. Accuracy and completeness of recruitment CRM records, including lead source and current status.

Timely follow-up and conversion of event and campaign leads; student and parent service feedback.

Requirements

Diploma or bachelor’s degree in a relevant field; experience in education recruitment, counselling, sales, or customer-facing service is preferred. Confident communication and relationship-building skills with students and parents; strong Lao communication and good English proficiency, including the ability to explain study options clearly in English.

Ability to explain options clearly, listen to concerns, manage a pipeline, and follow up reliably. Organised, accurate, and comfortable using Microsoft Office, messaging tools, and CRM or tracking systems. Willingness to attend recruitment activities, travel when required, and complete counsellor training for accurate study abroad guidance and university progression advice.

Working Relationships Internal: Admissions and Academic Partner Coordinator; Marketing; Head of Admissions and Student Counselling; Academic Team; Finance; Student Services and Operations. External: Prospective students and parents; school counsellors and referral contacts.